Clear Conscience
by Aquarianstar
Summary: The choice to separate from the Atlanta group was hard but the Morales family never imagined how hard it would be to set off on their own.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at Walking Dead FanFiction. The story centers around The Morales Family after they separate from the Atlanta group in season 1. Eventually they will meet up with other characters from the TV show. Hope you enjoy it. Looking forward to some reviews.**_

The Walking Dead: Clear Conscience

Chapter 1: A Safe Place

I finally found a safe place. Dark, quiet, a place of pure bliss. A place where all my sense have abandoned me. It's frightening yet cozy like a warm blanket. The feeling of free falling into nothingness. This place is hard to find and even harder to get into… but I finally succeeded. If only for a short while.

"Mama! Mama wake up! Wake up!"… The voice echoed throughout the canyon in my mind. It kept getting louder and clearer finally shattering my safe place. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay there for long. Restful sleep is a fleeting unicorn these days. I shook off the warm blanket and returned to reality.

"Que pasa hijo? What's wrong?"… My blurred vision focused on the worried face of my young son, Louis. His face was scarred with the horrors we have endured this past year. His eyes glassy, bloodshot and full of pain. Too much pain for a child to endure. As I gazed deep into his eyes it brought back memories of the old man in our group from Atlanta, I think his name was Dale. A wonderfully kind man that helped us all out. He had a calming look that hid so much pain.

Those day in Atlanta are fading from my memory. Lori and her boy, Carl they brought a flicker of hope to us. The chance that families can once again live a normal life and children can enjoy playing with friends again. Lori was a good mother to Carl and that day when they were reunited with her husband the sheriff was like the sun was shining on that family. I hope they made it.

So much has happened since then. So much, so fast. It seems like we've been living on Interstate 20 ever since we decided to split from the Atlanta group. I remember the night before we left. My husband, Gabriel and I had a long hard talk about our next move.

"What are we going to do Gabe?"… I whispered into his ear as we laid side by side in our tent. Sleep was nowhere to be found. The cold, hard ground penetrated through our sleeping bags and dug into our backs adding to our angst.

"Shhh…Miranda the kids will hear us."

"They have finally fallen asleep Papi. When do we ever get a chance to talk?"… I understood his concerns but everything was moving so fast. The group had suffered a terrible attack and everyone was caught off guard. And now the sheriff was planning to go to the CDC.

"What if the group decides to go to the Center? Gabe do you think it's the right move?"… My voice was stern. I wanted an answer from my husband, my protector. I could feel his body tense up next to me as he searched for an answer.

"I don't know. What choice do we have? We have to stay with the group. There's strength in numbers…"

"Strength in numbers? Gabe those creatures just wiped out half the group in a matter of minutes!"

"Calm down Miranda…you'll wake the kids."

My frustrations raised my Latina temper. The instinct to protect my familia took over. For some reason the move to the CDC didn't seem right to me.

"Atlanta isn't safe Gabe we need to head as far away as possible."… I pleaded with him.

His mind raced to find an alternative. After a few seconds of silence Gabe turned his head towards me.

"Birmingham. My brother Cesar and his family moved there 3 years ago. You know he's wanted us to checkout their new home. He's so proud of it ever since he got the promotion with that construction company. Maybe this disease hasn't hit Alabama? Maybe this is just happening in Atlanta?"

I smiled at him with relief. My Gabriel was stepping up. This is the strong, smart man I married. He had been lost in the chaos of Atlanta but finally he was getting his survival instincts back. I knew he would find a solution for us. He always has.

"Yes… Birmingham… I knew you would figure it out mi amor."

"Then it's settled Miranda, tomorrow we tell the group. The Morales are going on their own."

We snuggled close together and held hands as we slipped into sleep that night. The hard ground transformed into soft clouds as we dreamed of a new life amongst our family in Alabama. A life of peace and joy. Little did we know our dreams would become our worst nightmare.


	2. Chapter 2: Godsend

The Walking Dead: Clear Conscience

Chapter 2: Godsend

"Que pasa hijo? What's wrong?"… My blurred vision focused on the worried face of my young son, Louis.

"Mama, didn't you hear the gunshots? Papa and Mr. Noah haven't returned from their run. I'm scared!"…his tiny hands gripping tightly at my dirty t-shirt. I placed my hands on his to calm him down.

"Louis, where's your sister? Where's Eliza?"

"Right here Mama! I'm keeping watch."…to my relief her voice rang out like a shotgun across the hallway. I could make out her silhouette down the corridor. She was peeking out the second floor window of the warehouse that became our temporary home. Her slim twelve year old frame crouched down as she held a handgun firmly in her hands. She was ready to defend her family. It felt good to see my child ready to face the dangers this new world was presenting to her. Gabriel and I decided from the beginning of this outbreak that our children would be prepared to defend themselves in any situation. At the same time it made me sick to my stomach to watch their childhood and innocence slip away.

I held Louis under my right arm as I made my way towards Eliza.

"How long have they been gone? Why didn't you wake me sooner?"…I was mad at myself for slipping into a deep sleep. Although I've been running on empty making sure everyone was fed and kept safe, there's no excuse for me letting down my guard. Now we were stuck in a situation with the men missing and the three of us held up in this old warehouse. Panic started to set in.

"Wait! I see a shadow coming around the corner of that building across the street!"…Louis pointed at the dusty glass window to the street below. I glared through one of the broken glass panes and saw the long shadow cast by the descending sun. The shadow staggered left and right as it grew even longer. I knew by the way it was moving that it was a walker. Our bodies tensed up with anticipation. We held our breath as the rotting corpse made its way around the corner of the building. Eliza prepared to shoot it. I gently motioned for her to put down the gun as I signaled them to keep quiet.

"The shot will only bring more of them."…I whispered to my children as we watched the creature approaching our "home".

There was no sign of Gabriel or Noah. Noah was a camper we picked up on our travels. He jumped out of the bushes and helped us fend off a group of walkers with his trusty pickaxe. We didn't ask too many questions. In our eyes he was a Godsend that day. Without him we would have suffered casualties for sure. Now my husband and our guardian angel were missing. Possibly devoured by the hell spawned demons!

Once again my blood boiled with rage as I thought of how my little nap had turned the tide on my family. I snatched the gun out of Eliza's hands and stood square in front of the window and aimed at the walker's head. My finger squeezed ever so tightly at the trigger. I was focusing all my anger into this one shot. I fantasied blow its head clean off the torso and watching it roll across the street. In a blink of an eye the creature was out of my sight. I shook my head and refocused on the walker sprawled on the ground with a familiar pickaxe imbedded in the back of its decomposing skull.

We all cheered as the figures of Gabriel and Noah came running around the bend. My husband looked up at us holding a backpack full of supplies and waving his baseball bat in the air as Noah recovered his weapon.

Eliza sprung down the stairs to unlock the steel doors that kept us safe. Louis hurried down the stairs after her anxious to see what his dad brought back from the run. I just stood there looking out the window as the fallen walker bled out across the street. I could see a few more in the distance as the sun began to set. I let out a sigh. We had survived another day but the night brings a whole different set of challenges. I heard my husband's voice call out for me. A slight smile came across my face. How wonderful it is to hear his sweet voice… how could I ever live without it?


	3. Chapter 3: The Innocence Is Dead

Chapter 3: The Innocence Is Dead

It was a bright beautiful day. The blue sky draped over us with large bellowing white clouds obscuring the heat of the April sun. I gazed out the window of the RV we were blessed to find along the road two days ago. It was a class C motorhome just big enough for the five of us. The RV was in a car pileup on Interstate 20 just outside Douglasville, Georgia. The scene was horrific as usual.

The engine went out on our car a few miles down the road and we made our way down the highway armed and ready for walkers or marauders. My husband Gabriel led the pack with rifle in hand and a backpack over one shoulder. Behind him was our daughter Eliza armed with the handgun that had become her Teddy Bear. She slept with it under her pillow. Louis my ten year old boy and I followed closely behind them pushing a handcart full of supplies. Bringing up the rear was our fifth member, Noah.

He was a tall, handsome, young man in his mid-thirties. His dark, curly locks pulled back by the sweaty bandana reminded me of Rambo, the Sylvester Stallone character. Noah was the silent type. Never spoke much unless he had something positive to say. He and Gabe bonded. They always had each other's back. I was glad to see them work together and on occasions they actually laughed. They would argue about baseball teams and guy stuff. Gabe needed that male bonding.

When we came upon the scene at the RV, a handful of walkers were swarming the cars. We got off the road and hid in the bushes nearby.

"I'm seeing at least eight of them." Noah whispered to us as he laid on the side of the road analyzing the situation.

"Do you think we can take them?" Gabe whispered back to Noah. I tugged at Gabe's arm.

"We can't risk it with the kids…" I tried to keep my voice down as I gritted my teeth.

"Baby, we need a car badly and if we can save some lives our group can grow in numbers…we don't have a choice." His big brown eyes told the truth. I nodded in agreement.

We had rehearsed this type of scenario over and over. Without hesitation, we all fell into formation. Gabe and Noah prepared their rifles and led the assault. I armed myself with two handguns and stood over Louis and the supplies watching for walkers on either side. Eliza and her trusty "Teddy" watched our backs. We moved as one unit towards the walkers, picking them off as the gunshots alerted them to our presence. We stopped a few yards from the RV as the last creature fell. We all held our breath and listened for any movement…alive or dead. After a few seconds, Gabe signaled to the group to prepare for phase two. Noah pulled out his pickaxe and Gabe sported his baseball bat. They were going in to check the situation while the rest of us covered their backs.

"How you doing, Eliza?" I asked my girl as we stood back to back watching the perimeters.

"Stop asking me that, mom! How you think I'm doing?" I can feel her back tense up on me and eventually push off.

"I'm not a little girl anymore! There are no "little girls and boys" anymore! Those days are gone." Her voice was trembling with anger and fear. I wanted to hold her in my arms and comfort my little baby, but I knew it wasn't the time or place. She was right, if we wanted to survive, we all had to grow up and face reality. The innocence is dead.

"CLEAR!" Noah waved to us to come over. It was perfect timing. I knew Eliza and I would revisit our talk but for now we had our roles to play.


	4. Chapter 4: The Greatest Show On Earth

Chapter 4: The Greatest Show On Earth

I was checking supplies and noticed that we were going through food at an alarming rate. My husband, Gabe was used to my home cooking. He was a big boy thanks to me. Since the outbreak he was starting to lose his jolly, healthy figure. So every time we were lucky enough to raid a grocery store I made sure my Papi had an extra helping. Of course the kids came first…but I had to keep the man of the house strong and healthy. It was bred into me from generations of women in my family…so of course I would be the last to eat.

"Honey! We are running low on food! We need to go on a run." I yelled to the front of our camper. Gabe was riding gunshot while Noah drove into the midday sun. Luckily, the RV we found had plenty of maps of the area.

"OK baby, we're gonna pullover in a few minutes. This map shows a community across a bridge up ahead." Gabe threw a convincing smile at me.

I collapsed into the sofa bed and watched my son reading a comic book he found under the bed of the camper. The sunlight shining on him as he sat by the window at the table. My daughter Eliza laid in a small bed in the back. It was dark and gloomy back there but I knew better than to disturb her.

A few minutes later we came to a halt. Noah and Gabe jumped out to check the scene. I could hear them talking.

"Dude, what the hell is that?"

"Gabe, you think that's for real?"

My curiosity got the best of me and I had to see what they were talking about.

"What's going on? What's wrong?"

The men stood on the bridge overlooking the slowly drying creek below them. I asked them again… "What's up?" Then they stood back so I could get a glimpse of what they saw. My jaw dropped. I slowly stepped out of the RV and stood by the men.

"What the Hell?" To my amazement…across the creek in a large clearing stood a Big Top! It was a raggedy, circus tent and there was a campfire going. The smell of BBQ filled our nostrils.

"Is this a mirage?" Noah stated.

"It's the best damn smelling mirage I've ever seen!" Gabe laughed. "Let's go check it out!"

We jumped back into the RV and drove over the bridge and made our way slowly towards the tent.

"You know this is too good to be true." Noah turned to Gabe as he steered our ship.

"Yeah, who knows what's in there. Walkers could be waiting inside or even worse… Carnies!"

The men prepared their guns as I went through the drill with the kids. We knew our jobs and were ready for anything. As we got close to the site we could hear circus music coming from the tent. It wasn't extremely loud but loud enough to attract walkers. We parked the RV behind the trees a few yards from the Big Top and the men headed through the bushes to stake out the scene. The children and I stayed in the RV. We each took a window and stood guard. The rule was…if they are not back in 15 minutes, something was wrong and we were supposed to drive off. The rule didn't sit well with me but I agreed.

As Gabe and Noah peaked through the bushes they could hear activity inside the tent. There were voices and sounds coming from inside.

"Sounds like there are people in there." Whispered Gabe as he brought down his guard and set his rifle next to him.

"Hold on…let's wait to see if anyone comes out before we go in. Somebody has to be minding the BBQ." Noah's levelheaded thinking made sense even though Gabe's stomach growled with hunger. Suddenly a tall slender woman stepped out of the tent with a plate of food and a pair of tongs. As she headed towards the fire pit Gabe was hypnotized by her beautiful figure, her long flowing red hair and the colorful tattoos that covered her smooth skin.

"Holy moly! We must have died and gone to heave Vato!" Gabe dropped his gun and stepped out of the bushes.

"Gabe! No!" Noah tried to stop him but it was too late. The second Gabe stepped on firm ground a spring-loaded trap wrapped around his foot and he was swept up into the air. The redhead turned to see the commotion and dropped her plate.

"Damn it! I knew this was a trap!" While still hiding in the bushes, Noah instinctively drew his gun and aimed at the girl waiting for her next move. Then he heard a familiar groaning and growling behind him. Two walkers had crept up behind him. They were obviously attracted by the sounds and smells of the Big Top. As the first one was on him, he drove his pickaxe straight up its jaw and into the front of its skull. With the blunt end of his weapon he smashed the second walker in the temple. While he finished them off he noticed a group running out of the tent and towards the dangling Gabriel. The situation was getting chaotic. Noah chose to get back to the RV and regroup with us. He knew there were more walkers coming and getting caught by the Big Top gang would do us no good. As he hurried back, he suddenly stumbled over a small object and fell face first on the ground then he blacked out.

It was past 15 minutes and it was time for me to make my move. Damn it! I knew this day would come when I'd have to make this decision. I couldn't leave the men behind. Yet I couldn't risk the children. I stood in the middle of the camper unable to make a decision.

"Go already! I got this!" Eliza shouted at me as she watched out the back window with her "Teddy" by her side. Her reassuring voice was what I was searching for. I grabbed my two handguns and bolted out the door.


	5. Chapter 5: The Show Must Go On

Chapter 5: The Show Must Go On

My heart was pounding against my chest as I raced towards the circus tent. I cut through thick bushes and sharp branches as they scraped and tugged at me. Time was of the essence as my children were alone in our RV and the men of our group had been missing for over 20 minutes. I was on a blind mission to rescue Gabe and Noah. If only we would have stayed together. If only we would have kept heading west and not stop to investigate the damn circus tent!

I came upon the clearing and there was no activity at the camp. I hesitated as I desperately searched for a plan. Then I felt the sharp sting of cold steel against the back of my neck.

"Slow down, senorita…what's the big rush?" The voice was that of a man with a thick foreign accent. I froze in my tracks. My hands gripped tightly to the guns. This man was in my way. My children and my husband flashed in my mind. I had no time to deal with my assailant. I turned on my heels to fire my guns but instead I felt a burning sensation rip across my wrist. Both of my guns dropped from my grip.

I looked down to see blood flowing from my right wrist.

"Damn you! I have no time for this!" I went into blind rage as I lunged at the slender blonde-haired young man dressed in a Renaissance costume.

He took a step back and raised his hands to the sky. His playful grin mocked me. Before I could reach his throat, another blade appeared across my throat. My eyes darted to my right and yet another character from the Bristol Renaissance Fair stood next to me. A fair-haired young woman with piercing eyes stopped me in my tracks. She became increasingly blurry as I lost my balance and dropped to the ground. As blackness consumed me I could hear her voice fading into the distance.

"Why did you have to cut her so deeply?"

My name is Eliza. I am the oddball in my family, the Morales. My father Gabriel is the protector... some protector... he took us away from the Atlanta group! I actually had friends! Sophia and Carl. I miss them so much, especially Carl. He was soooo cute. Ever since we left for Alabama it's been nothing but a nightmare…Thanks dad!

My mom, Miranda is a total control freak. Me and her butt heads all the time. As for being in control…she rarely is. Usually over-thinks things and ends up standing around with her head up her... you get the idea. Now she has left me in charge of the big, old, cramped RV while she tries to rescue the so-called men of our group.

Then there's Noah. Some hottie we picked up on our journey. He's the only good thing about this trip. But he's too quiet and hardly looks my way. My mom's totally crushin' on him!

Oh yeah... I almost forgot my screaming brat of a brother panicking in the back of the RV. No.. he didn't get bit. He just doesn't like the fact that I have taken total charge of this bogus situation.

"STOP! ELIZA you are crazy! What are you doing? We can't leave mama and papa!" Louis shrills at me. Yup you guessed it… I am driving this bad boy outta here! It's been over half an hour, no sign of my family, and a herd of walkers where surrounding the RV. I know the basics of driving a car. My dad used to put me on his lap and let me steer our family car before all this went down. I watched him press the pedals with his foot. Those were fun days.

The RV is much bigger and I hardly reach the pedals but I got it moving and onto the highway. But steering this thing is a whole lot harder. I swerved side to side as all the pots and pans flew across the camper. My little brother's screams did not help. I don't know how far down the road I drove but it felt like I was driving for hours…it was probably only a few minutes. At some point I must have steered too close to the shoulder of the road and the RV went flying into a ditch.

We came to a sudden stop as my brother hit his head against a cabinet door. He was out cold. I held onto the steering wheel and ended up kissing the airbag. I gathered my wits and made my way to the back of the RV where Louis was laying on the floor. Then I stopped in my tracks as I heard voices outside coming towards us. I hoped it was my family. I peeked out a window and saw a young couple dressed in all white scurrying down the ditch.

"Oh my, I hope there are survivors." The lady said to her partner in a concerned voice.

I frantically searched the floor for a gun. The floor of the RV was covered with items that had been tossed around during my awesome driving. I dove for a gun under some paper plates as the door swung open. I pointed the gun at the opening and held my breath.

"Hello? Is anyone in there? Are you ok?" The voice of the young man sounded sincere enough. Then he slowly poked his head inside and looked around. He spotted my gun aimed at him and he froze.

"Hi there…it's ok. We saw your RV swerve off the road and we came to help. I'm Caleb and my friend Joan is with me. She has medical experience and can help anyone who is injured." Once again his trusting voice touched my heart.

I took a deep breath and answered… "I think my brother is hurt. He's not moving."

"Can we come in?"

"With your hands in the air…no funny business." I commanded the nice looking guy. His eyes where a beautiful bright blue color…. Noah who?

They came in slowly and examined the wreck. I kept my gun on them as I sat up on a chair while they checked Louis.

The beautiful girl with short dark hair examined his head.

"He's got a nasty bump. He needs medical help Caleb."

Caleb turned his attention to me.

"Where is the driver? Where are the adults?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "We got separated a while back. I drove the RV away from the walkers."

They looked at each other with a puzzled glance… "Walkers?"

"Yeah, you know the zombie thingies. That's what we call them."

They stared at each other.

"Oh you mean the Damned. You weren't bitten or scratched by them?" Their voices had a hint of panic as they tried to keep up their pleasant smiles.

"No, no. we are both ok. But we need to rescue our parents..." before I could finish my sentence Joan interrupted.

"Your brother needs medical attention right away. Once he gets treated we will help you find your parents. OK?"

I hesitated as my head started to spin.

"I don't feel so good..."

Joan helped me out of the RV as Caleb carried Louis in his arms. They had a white SUV running with a driver waiting.

As I sat in the rear of the car I swear I saw a figure watching us from behind a tree across the road. At first I thought it was a walker but it was standing at attention. Then my eyelids hung down and I passed into a deep sleep.


End file.
